Gunvolt Gets His Braid Back In The U.S. Version Of Azure Striker Gunvolt

Recently, Azure Striker Gunvolt developer Inti Creates explained to Siliconera why they changed the Gunvolt character’s design for the west. For the game’s U.S. version, Inti Creates removed Gunvolt’s braid and covered up his bare midriff as shown above.

Following feedback from the community and a discussion with Keiji Inafune, Inti Creates have decided to settle for a middle ground.

“Inafune-san and [Inti Creates CEO] Aizu-san also discussed the character design of Gunvolt for US version,” the GunvoltTwitter account said this morning. “Inafune-san concluded that Gunvolt keeps ‘braided hair’ in US version too. Because he emphasises the design.”

The person in charge of the Gunvolt Twitter account then went on to say that Gunvolt’s midriff would still remain covered by black cloth in the U.S. version. When we spoke with Aizu, that was our suggestion as well, and one that I think serves as a good middle ground between the two designs.

Azure Striker Gunvolt will be available this Summer for the Nintendo eShop on 3DS.

Woo, this is exactly what I wanted them to do. So I’m definitely happy about this. Can’t wait to pick this one up.

XiaomuArisu

Good decision

Spirit Macardi

Not a complete win, but still a net positive.

I hate the idea of changing characters for overseas. I believe that the same experience should be had by all, and that includes designs.

Granted though, this was hardly the worst design change I’ve seen proposed.

RagingTiger44

I guess it’s a matter of adapting to cultures. What seems silly in the U.S. may be normal in Japan and vice-versa. Not all ideas can easily cross the cultural barrier.

Spirit Macardi

Yes, but if you have problems with things from another culture then you’re likely not going to be buying a game from them to begin with.

John Diamond

what. the lack of midriff is pretty badass

Firekitty

I think it’s sexist. Just think of all the female characters with bare midriffs…Very few people complain about how ‘impractical’ THOSE designs are.

They should leave his midriff bare, for fanservice and great justice!

John Diamond

of course less people would complain.
how many women leave their midriffs bare in real life. it’s not rife amongst society, but it isn’t a freak occurence.

by your logic, if people fought against the main male character wearing short shorts it would be sexist (i know it’s a sort of extreme example, but i hope you get my point)

Firekitty

It would be sexist. If he were female, most people would be okay with it…but what about the female gamers who’d like to appreciate a nice pair of legs on a man?!

(I assumed that the last sentence in my original post would indicate I was (mostly) joking, but I guess not?)

John Diamond

nop, i got you were joking, i was talking about what you said in the first place. and what i said initially about women in real life showing their ‘midriffs’ still pretty much covers what you cover

Tiredman

I have a feeling that if they hadn’t of changed the graphic in the first place, nobody would of said a word about the midriff.

KnifeAndFork

No

British_Otaku

Wearing clothes around your waist or not isn’t inherently badass. Numerous thief or dancer characters from Sothe in Fire Emblem or those classes in Bravely Default to the protagonist of Tales of the Abyss have pulled it off.

John Diamond

it’s just a preference… jeez ¬¬. i didn’t even make a general remark like ‘lack of midriff i pretty ‘awesome” all the time

British_Otaku

I don’t know man, the post literally said “what. the lack of midriff is pretty badass”. That seems to be the same type of post you deny you made.
Not that I care about this line of conversation that much…

John Diamond

who does, although admittedly i concede i may have phrased the word badly

RajaNaga

Having midrift doesn’t make him any less badass looking.

John Diamond

in your opinion, and that’s cool

AuraGuyChris

Fine then. All naked outfits shall cross to NA without censors! It’s not bad at all!

Spirit Macardi

Umm… What?

Seriously, the hell are you talking about?

AuraGuyChris

In Japan, nudity is a sign of a clean soul or such. Outside of it, well… Censors happen.

Hmm, I guess I replied to the wrong post. Oops.

KnifeAndFork

Huh? Japan censors nudity

Ric Vazquez

Agreed 1000%

하세요

I’m totally fine with this. I always felt midriffs on any character were really unnecessary, male or female.

Treetops97

I could not live on this planet anymore if they took your word for it.

DivinePhoenix69

Glad to see they decided to keep the braid afterall, the design would have felt incomplete without it. I never cared for the whole midriff thing honestly so them covering it up doesn’t really bother me as much as them permanently removing the braid.

mockturtle

As a dude with long hair, this makes me very happy. I do wish they’d keep the design unchanged at all, though. It’s not as though you can’t show some midriff and still be cool. Luke fon Fabre, anyone? What about Ghirahim?

Glad the ponytail is staying. Hopefully they change their minds about the midriff.

Though I feel this should be an eye-opener. This is how Japan sees us. Namco did this with Klonoa for the Wii, thinking that we in the west didn’t like his cute design and tried to go with a revamped one.

We need to be more open and vocal so things like this don’t end up happening again.

Istillduno

Sweet, hope this carries over to the European version too.

British_Otaku

Huh? 99% of the time you can assume all changes for one English release effect all of them or at least more than one region… I would be surprised if they had the mindset that focus tests folks in Britain to see whether we like our midriffs or whether we prefer our protagonists looking like Wayne Rooney.

Will Jay

And with this the design is perfect.

Hours Left

The design shouldn’t of been changed at all. There should be no difference between the Japanese and English versions.

Bakuryukun

I liked the braid, so I’m glad they brought it back.

RajaNaga

The compromise is better than nothing, but I am still upset at the mere concept of editting his design at all, especially because it’s something so silly. I’m very happy about the braid, but I really wish the midrift would remain uneditted as well.

I have a feeling if it was entirely Inafune’s decision he would remain 100% untouched, but I guess Aizu is deadset in his “appealing to Americans” ideas.

Yan Zhao

Glad they changed it back. The whole notion of censorship for western releases are stupid as hell. Yes we got narrowminded homophobic idiots here in the west, but the majority of actual non CoD gamers dont care and would rather keep everything the same.

KnifeAndFork

What does it have to do with homosexuality ? Are you implying just because he has an exposed midriff that somehow makes him viewed as a homo sexual? and not just someone with bad fashion sense?
There’s no confirmation on the characters sexual preference (not that it matters), and they are marketing (they said it) to 10 to 14 yr old boys, so confusing visual genders aside, it’s more on “what will boys think looks the coolest”, and since your average male doesn’t go walking around with exposed midriffs, be it the West or even Japan, the common consensus would be…lol, which is how they analyzed it..

You’re talking about the video game industry which has brought us Poison, Bridgette, and Makato, as well as now Ellie so….

Mightfo

Let’s be real: You know that the only reason they changed the midriff is because a man showing that sort of skin in the west is seen as “gay”. Nobody gives a shit about fashion. Even obviously straight men in the west feel uncomfortable showing skin unless they’re heavily emphasizing muscles and workout, because otherwise it is seen as gay. Even a man attracting a woman with his body is “gay” because of the focus on how other men see it as an observer. Similar to the psychology involved in straight men watching lesbian porn.

shadowneko003

i never really like changing character names and design, with some exceptions of course. I’m glad they kept the hair

Thank you very much, Inti. I can live without the bare midriff, though the braid, I believe is essential to the character like Megaman’s Zero does with his own ponytail.

Heck, I think he looks a level badass with the braid and fully clothed abs.

Nhazul

Awesome. I was definitely liking the long braid and I’m glad they kept it. Personally, I think the design looks a lot cooler with the midriff covered. It brings the suit together, no reason to have it exposed.

And that sounds like some kind of body and/or gender policing. So no, I think you’re wrong, people can wear what they want.

And I think that men wearing midriff bearing outfits looks fabulous~.

Namuro

I’ve been wondering, how come some characters can get away with such a design choice, like Enoch, but not Gunvolt? Is it because Gunvolt is aimed towards kids (though, that shouldn’t be the case, as a lot of people have expressed their opinion on who the real fans of this game are), while El Shaddai is aimed at adults, who are (in general) more open-minded?

Also, since the game uses a sprite graphic, and that it will be on a small screen, I doubt the players will even notice the midriff, if nobody made a fuss over it.

Might have to go and get his braids back,
Matter fact, go and bring them AKs back.

CirnoLakes

Well good, I don’t like characters being made more masculine for Western audiences. Which I worry what was being done.

Ric Vazquez

Faith in NTSC localizations partially restored, I’m glad about this a lot even though it’s something minor.

Ryan Rardin

This is stupid. Inti-Creates should have fired the person responsible for the change as soon as the fan backlash started. Even with this “middle ground,” I’m not buying Gunvolt anymore. Believe me, I was really looking forward to it, but this killed any interest I had in the game. If they’re going to change something as trivial as the main character’s appearance, what else is going to be arbitrarily censored? It’s the same reason I passed on Bravely Default.

Mightfo

glad the ponytail is back, still upset that the midriff is gone. everyone who doesnt have their head in the sand knows that the only reason either of these changes are happening is because of american males going “FAGGG FAG FAG FAG” at the sight of traits like these.

Video game stories from other sites on the web. These links leave Siliconera.